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The lofty branches of the Monterey pine provide a shady canopy over the communal gardens at Platinum Skies’ new retirement development in Dorset. The protected tree, which is more commonly found near the coast of California, will be a much-loved part of the development for the owners who have just started to move into their apartments in Christchurch – especially when the circular bench has been built around the trunk, providing a cool respite from the sun or a refuge from the rain.

Jan and John Marshall cannot quite believe their luck in having this beautiful feature in the landscaped gardens backing on to their new ground-floor home. Jan, 62, a retired nurse, and John, 64, a former policeman...